Long-term functional restoration by neural progenitor cell transplantation in rat model of cognitive dysfunction: co-transplantation with olfactory ensheathing cells for neurotrophic factor support.

Neural progenitor cell transplantation has emerged as a promising approach for cell replacement therapy in the brain of neurodegenerative diseases. These are multipotent stem cells with self-renewal capabilities and can give rise to cells of all the three lineages of nervous system and can be maintained and differentiated to desirable neuronal subtypes in vitro with known trophic factors. However, like fetal cells, neural progenitor cells after differentiating to specific neuronal type also require continuous neurotrophic factor support for their long-term survival following transplantation. Recent reports suggest that olfactory ensheathing cells are capable of providing continuous neurotrophic factor to the transplanted neural progenitor cells for their long-term survival. In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to validate functional restoration in kainic acid lesioned rat model of cognitive dysfunction following co-transplantation of neural progenitor cells with olfactory ensheathing cells. Animals lesioned with kainic acid in CA3 subfield of hippocampal region were transplanted with neural progenitor cells, olfactory ensheathing cells or neural progenitor cells+olfactory ensheathing cells together. Twelve weeks post-transplantation functional restoration was assessed using neurobehavioral, neurochemical, and immunohistochemical approaches. Significant recovery in learning and memory (89%) was observed in co-transplanted group when compared to lesioned group. This was accompanied by significantly higher expression of choline acetyltransferase and restoration in cholinergic receptor binding in co-transplanted group (61%) over the animals transplanted either olfactory ensheathing cells or neural progenitor cells alone. Role of olfactory ensheathing cells in supplementing neurotrophic factors was further substantiated in vitro by pronounced differentiation of neural progenitor cells to choline acetyltransferase/acetylcholine esterase immunoreactive cells when co-cultured with olfactory ensheathing cells as compared to neural progenitor cells alone. The results strengthened the hypothesis that co-transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells and neural progenitor cells may be a better approach for functional restoration in kainic acid induced rat model of cognitive dysfunction.

Neuroprotective and neurorescue effect of black tea extract in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rat model of Parkinson's disease.

In the present study, an attempt has been made to explore the neuroprotective and neuroreparative (neurorescue) effect of black tea extract (BTE) in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD). In the neuroprotective (BTE + 6-OHDA) and neurorescue (6-OHDA + BTE) experiments, the rats were given 1.5% BTE orally prior to and after intrastriatal 6-OHDA lesion respectively. A significant recovery in d-amphetamine induced circling behavior (stereotypy), spontaneous locomotor activity, dopamine (DA)-D2 receptor binding, striatal DA and 3-4 dihydroxy phenyl acetic acid (DOPAC) level, nigral glutathione level, lipid peroxidation, striatal superoxide dismutase and catalase activity, antiapoptotic and proapoptotic protein level was evident in BTE + 6-OHDA and 6-OHDA + BTE groups, as compared to lesioned animals. BTE treatment, either before or after 6-OHDA administration protected the dopaminergic neurons, as evident by significantly higher number of surviving tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive (TH-ir) neurons, increased TH protein level and TH mRNA expression in substantia nigra. However, the degree of improvement in motor and neurochemical deficits was more prominent in rats receiving BTE before 6-OHDA. Results suggest that BTE exerts both neuroprotective and neurorescue effects against 6-OHDA-induced degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system, suggesting that possibly daily intake of BTE may slow down the PD progression as well as delay the onset of neurodegenerative processes in PD.

Effect of Piper longum Linn, Zingiber officianalis Linn and Ferula species on gastric ulceration and secretion in rats.

Use of Dipaniya Mahakasaya, a group consisting of 10 herbal drugs, has been suggested in Charaka Samhita to improve digestion. Out of these 10 plants, three, viz. P. longum (water decoction), Z. officianalis (water decoction) and Ferula species (colloidal solution) were studied for their antiulcer and mechanism of antiulcer effects in rats. All the drugs in the dose of 50 mg/kg, p.o., 60 min prior to experiment, showed significant protection against gastric ulcers induced by 2 hr cold restraint stress, aspirin (200 mg/kg, 4 hr) and 4 hr pylorus ligation. The antiulcerogenic effect seemed to be due to the augmentation of mucin secretion and decreased cell shedding rather than offensive acid and pepsin secretion which however, were found to be increased by them.

Antigiardial and immunostimulatory effect of Piper longum on giardiasis due to Giardia lamblia.

Piper longum fruit, used in traditional remedies as well as in the Ayurvedic system of medicine against intestinal disorders, was tested for its efficacy against experimental infection of Giardia lamblia in mice. On in vitro test, an aqueous extract of P. longum fruit powder (PF) at 250 microg/mL and its ethanol extract at 125 microg/mL showed 100% giardicidal activity. A low order activity was found in the n-butanol extract. Further fractionation in hexane and chloroform resulted in a total loss of activity. The survival of-trophozoites in mice at 900 mg/kg body weight was 11.12 in PF, 8. 54 in aqueous extract, 5.81 in ethanol extract. The antigiardial activity of PF in hexane, chloroform and n-butanol soluble fractions was comparable to the drug-untreated control (47.63). Piper longum possessed a demonstrable immunostimulatory activity, both specific and nonspecific, as evident from the standard test parameters such as haemagglutination titre (HA), plaque forming cell (PFC) counts, macrophage migration index (MMI) and phagocytic index (PI). A maximum effect was found at 225 mg/kg body weight in mice. The effect was marginally reduced at higher doses of 450 and 900 mg/kg or the lower dose of 112.5 mg/kg.

Drug targeting in Leishmania donovani infections using tuftsin-bearing liposomes as drug vehicles.

The efficacy of sodium stibogluconate against Leishmania donovani infections was markedly enhanced by encapsulating this drug in tuftsin-bearing liposomes. Also, pretreatment of the animals with these liposomes (free of drug) rendered them resistant to this infection, possibly by activating the host's macrophages. These results demonstrate that tuftsin-bearing liposomes besides delivering the drug to the target cells could also enhance the nonspecific resistance against infections, thus offering an additional advantage over the use of tuftsin-free liposomes as drug carriers in leishmania therapy.

Evaluation of alkali treatment for biodegradation of corn cobs by Aspergillus niger.

Effect of NaOH pretreatment on the biodegradation of corn cobs for the production of cellulase and protein was studied using Aspergillus niger. Delignification of cobs with NaOH remarkably increased the production of cellulase and protein. Treatment of cobs with 2% NaOH was found to be the best with respect to their susceptibility to biodegradation for maximum production of cellulose 1,4-beta-cellobiosidase, cellulase, beta-glucosidase soluble protein and crude protein; this also led to the highest protein recovery, maximum cellulose utilization and also for the maximum degradation of substrate.

Brain regional levels of neurotransmitter amines as neurochemical correlates of sex-specific ontogenesis in the rat.

Brain regional levels of three neurotransmitter amines - serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) - were measured in young rats prior to weaning to determine the extent to which modifications in levels of amines might reflect alterations in the sex steroid hormonal environment during the first postnatal week in the life of the rat. Sex-related levels of DA, NE, and 5-HT were found in some brain regions of the 12-day-old rat. Male midbrain DA exceeded the corresponding female value while female hypothalamic NE levels were greater than those of the male. Levels of 5-HT in the corpus striatum and the midbrain of males were greater than those of the female. Castration of the male on day 1 or testosterone propionate (TP) administration to the newborn female resulted in modifications of levels of midbrain 5-HT which reflected feminization of the castrated males and masculinization of the TP-treated females. Castration on day 1, or diethylstilbestrol given on days 2, 4, and 6, resulted in apparent feminization of NE levels in the hypothalamus of 12-day-old male rats. Thus, it appears that regional levels of hypothalamic NE and midbrain 5-HT in the 12-day-old rat may reflect the course of brain organizational activity which becomes recognizable in the adult as sex-specific behavior.